Dovetail: Monday Night Vegetarian Tasting Menu

Since moving to NYC, the Vegetarian has wanted to check out the vegetarian (and vegetable focused) tasting menu which is only available on Monday nights at Dovetail.  Having tried Dovetail months ago during restaurant week, it was only a matter of time before we finally went back.  Fresh of their first ever Michelin Star, Dovetail offers a relatively small, New American menu with French influences, in a crisp modern setting.  You feel cozy in the small interior and dark wood tables lightly lit by candles.

As I mentioned, every Monday night, Dovetail offers a 3 course tasting menu, plus dessert.  You are given the option of ordering completely vegetarian dishes or dishes that include meat or fish, but are highlighted by their perfect treatment of vegetables.  Here is a basic run through of the dishes and some pretty bad pictures from my pictures taken by my phone.

For the first course I chose the Brussels Sprouts Leaves Salad with cauliflower, manchego cheese, pears and mangalica ham.  The Brussels Sprouts leaves were fresh and crispy, a nice compliment to the not so crispy pears and cheese, along side the delicately sliced ham.  The Vegetarian chose the beet salad with greek yogurt and pistachios.  I tasted this, despite not liking beets and thought it was exquisite.  The beets were bursting with flavor, offering both red and yellow varieties.

For the next course, the Vegetarian picked the winter tempura with
tofu and a chai curry spice.  The veggies were very lightly battered and fried and the hint of chai curry spice was subtle yet packed with enormous flavor.  I picked the button mushroom gnocchi with sweet potato, radish and sauce bordelaise.  The sauce had a touch of spice, but it seemed to coat the soft pillows of gnocchi quite well.  The mushrooms, which just a few years ago I’d refuse to eat, were moist and nicely sauteed.

For the final savory course, I picked the braised fennel with lamb bacon, lentils, persillade and mustard.  The fennel was the star of this dish, appearing like it was the lamb in the dish, covered in the persillade (seasoning of parsley, garlic and oil).  The fennel was tender to the touch, while the lamb belly was crisp and hearty.  The vegetarian selected the fennel ravioli with basil, artichokes and preserved lemon.  I did not try this dish, as it was gone before I could ask for a bite, so I am assuming it was delicious.

For the final dessert course, I went with the obvious apple crumble, but with vanilla soy ice cream.  Normally soy ice cream is awful, but this was rich and creamy, like real ice cream. The sauteed and caramelized apples were topped with crispy salted peanut crumble, a perfect combination.  The vegetarian selected the chocolate souffle with eggnog ice cream.  The souffle was rich and creamy, yet fluffy like it should be.

Overall, the meal here at Dovetail couldn’t have been any better.  The small dishes from the tasting menu, plus the warm bread prior were plenty of food and filled us both up completely.  The price was very reasonable, considering the restaurant now holds a Michelin Star.  This is a restaurant worthy of a visit, whether it is for a Monday tasting, restaurant week or just a simple al a carte selection.

Dovetail on Urbanspoon

About Evan

I like to eat. I like to cook. I like to eat what I cook. Now, I will share with you what I like to cook. My wife and I may be a vegetarian and a carnivore, but it doesn’t mean we can’t cook a nice meal with both, without compromising taste. I will share my creative meals of the Carnivore and the Vegetarian.
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5 Responses to Dovetail: Monday Night Vegetarian Tasting Menu

  1. Herb1419 says:

    Glad that Dovetail was not closed because of the blizzard. The review makes we want to eat there.

  2. Lamb fennel lentil ?!?!? I want it. Looks great. Thanks for further complicating my To Eat list.

  3. Sook says:

    Everything looks delicious! Just retweeted. Yum!

  4. Pingback: Tweets that mention Dovetail: Monday Night Vegetarian Tasting Menu | The Carnivore and the Vegetarian -- Topsy.com

  5. Pingback: October 1 – World Vegetarian Day « National Food Days in New York City

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